Page 97 - Culture Technology Communication

82 Barbara Becker and Josef Wehner

the new medium. From this point of view, the thematic filter and
exclusive cast list of speaker roles in mass media can be overcome.
In contrast with this, we assume that electronic communication
networks support political partial public areas. In particular, non-
governmental organizations, social movements, and citizens’ ini-
tiatives, amongst others, seem to be strengthened by electronic
communication. The Internet will not replace the public space
based on mass media. Instead, it constitutes a public characterized
by pluralistic perspectives, an unlimited number of on-line discus-
sion groups, and multiple connections between different “commu-
nication arenas.” Because of its interactive and (until now) rather
decentralized structure, the Internet enables people to present
their perspectives and positions in a still rather unlimited way. So,
we may expect that the Internet opens a new public sphere which
helps to overcome some inequalities based on different possibilities
of getting a voice in the public. But we have to consider that com-
puter nets are characterized by their own specific potentialities
and shortcomings. Considering this, we assume that the media
world is progressing towards a higher degree of differentiation.
Thus, the need for conventional mass media and their capacities to
influence the public opinion will not vanish. But they have to spe-
cialize themselves more and more on those tasks which—at least
in the moment—new media cannot replace.

Notes

1. The possibility of selecting and interpreting the common back-
ground information which has been distributed by mass media signifi-
cantly contributes to the identity formation of exclusive groups or special
cultures. The inclusion mechanism of the mass media and its accompany-
ing processes of regulating attention are therefore in no way contradictory
to the observable recontextualization of mass-media-mediated presenta-
tions of reality. In this respect the mass media supports processes of indi-
vidualization as well as the differentiation of partial systems, all of which
are typical of modern society. Mass media help people to find out from
what, whom, and in what respect they differ. By relating themselves to
mass media, people as well as groups are able to develop a distinctive iden-
tity (see Thompson 1995).
2. Whereas it is often assumed that this specification of various
media also includes the mass media, we support the theory that in the fu-
ture there will still be the need for media with an anonymous relationship to
the public—possibly for the very reason that there is such a dramatic